Sexual Harassment

Close-up Of A Man Trying To Harass The Businesswoman Holding Document

What Employers Need to Know About the EEOC’s Proposed Workplace Harassment Guidance

by Andrea Rodriguez in Human Resources, Legal, Safety & Security. Posted December 12, 2023

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) proposed new guidance for employers regarding updates to the law and modern examples of workplace harassment. The public is allowed to comment on the proposed guidance through November 1, 2023. Prior to this release, the EEOC had not updated its guidance regarding workplace harassment since 2017. Needless to say, much ...

Lasting Effects of the #MeToo Movement

by Beeta Lashkari in Human Resources, Legal. Posted November 13, 2018

It has been about a year since the #MeToo movement went viral, spreading greater awareness about sexual misconduct and harassment, and, more generally, the role of women, in the workplace. So, where are we now, and has anything changed? Was it just an awareness movement? Or, have things actually started to shift in the legal ...

The Not-So-Happy Hour: Preparing for Investigations & Subpoenas in Light of #metoo & More

by Matthew Feinberg in Human Resources, Legal, Lodging, Risk Management. Posted July 10, 2018

Since the last Presidential election campaign began approximately two years ago, there has been a significant public focus on sexual harassment, income inequality, crimes against women, public corruption, and the income gap. Sexual harassment claims have skyrocketed in the wake of the #metoo movement, with some states reporting as much as 400% increases in claim ...

“Hands Off, Pants On” When Guests Sexually Harass Your Hotel Employees

by Darin Mackender in Human Resources, Insurance & Loss Prevention, Legal, Lodging, Risk Management. Posted June 26, 2018

In an April 2016 survey of 400 Chicago-area women working at hotels, nearly 50 percent indicated that they have had a guest answer the door naked, expose themselves, or were otherwise flashed. Worse yet, 1 in 10 said they had been kissed, grabbed, pinched, or groped by a guest. Hotel employees reported incidents in which they were ...

Sex Trafficking Continues to Raise Significant Concerns for the Hospitality Industry

by Charles Spitz in Hotel Development, Legal, Risk Management, Safety & Security. Posted April 24, 2018

A variety of lawsuits and legislative efforts across the U.S. are reinforcing that the hospitality industry plays a crucial role combating human trafficking in hotels, motels, and other facilities. They also demonstrate that anti-trafficking compliance and training can help not just battle the problem at the ground-level, but also reduce potential civil liability for owners/operators ...

5-Step Plan To Address Growing Sexual Harassment Concerns

by Fisher Phillips in Human Resources. Posted December 12, 2017

For several months now, it seems that each new day has brought about a fresh round of reporting on yet another high-profile sexual harassment accusation. What started in October with substantiated allegations against movie producer Harvey Weinstein has blossomed into dozens of claims against Hollywood executives, actors, comedians, politicians, media personalities, and corporate executives. The ...

Steps Employers Can Take to Prevent and Respond to Claims of Sexual Harassment

by Andrea Kirshenbaum in Human Resources, Insurance & Loss Prevention, Legal. Posted December 7, 2017

High-profile instances of inappropriate sexual behavior and sexual harassment in the workplace continue to grab headlines. While media coverage has focused on cases from the media, entertainment and political arenas, every employer should have heightened awareness of sexual harassment in the workplace at this time, regardless of industry. Of course, the media coverage of the ...

No Sexual Harassment, but Retaliation Claim Survives

by Sid Steinberg in Human Resources, Legal. Posted September 19, 2017

Just as the adage is that “the coverup is worse than the crime,” we know that in employment law, “the retaliation claim is more dangerous than the underlying discrimination.” The latest example of this is in the recent decision of Austin v. Bloomin’ Brands, 2:16-CV-06509-TR (Aug. 30). MOSTLY HISPANIC KITCHEN STAFF Mark Austin began working ...

Workplace Harassment 101

by Daniel Deacon in Human Resources, Legal. Posted July 27, 2017

One lesson companies of all sizes can learn from the sexual harassment claims that Uber is facing is that an employer needs to set clear restrictions on harassment and make a conscious effort to hold employees accountable to those workplace standards. In particular, sexual harassment has been a significant issue in the workplace since men ...

Practical Tips on Creating an Effective Unlawful Harassment Policy

by Kevin Donovan in Human Resources. Posted May 28, 2014

It has been a long time since the 1991 Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation hearings brought the issue of sexual harassment to the forefront of public consciousness. Hundreds of thousands of unlawful harassment claims later,most employers have policies in place announcing their opposition to harassment and providing employees with avenues to complain and seek redress.1 Yet ...